MLB 2017-2018 Offseason Thread of Old Familiar Faces in New Places

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the Marlins have agreed to a deal that would send superstar slugger Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees.

Stanton recently vetoed deals with the Giants and Cardinals and told the Marlins' brass that he would only approve trades to four clubs, the Yankees, Dodgers, Astros or Cubs. Reports started to pour in on Friday night that talks between the Marlins and Bombers were picking up steam, and now it looks like an accord has been made. It remains unclear what the Marlins will receive in return, but reports have indicated that the Yankees would like to move one of their big contracts along with a package of prospects. From a fantasy perspective, putting Stanton and his massive power in the bandbox that is Yankee Stadium could astoundingly result in an uptick from the phenomenal 59 homers that he slugged in 2017.

Get the fucking fuck outta here with this shit.

UPDATE:

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Starlin Castro is expected to be a part of the package that heads to the Marlins in the Giancarlo Stanton trade.

The Yankees needed to find a way to dump some salary in the trade, and it sounds like the Marlins were not receptive to the idea of taking on Jacoby Ellsbury. Castro, who is still only 27 years old, is coming off a terrific season where he slashed .300/.338/.454 with 16 homers and 63 RBI in 112 games. He has two years and $22.7 million remaining on his contract, as well as a club option for $16 million ($1 million buyout) for 2020. Moving Castro means that top prospect Gleyber Torres could begin the year as the starting second baseman.

Jim Bowden of Sirius XM reports that Starlin Castro is the only major leaguer that will head to the Marlins in the Giancarlo Stanton trade.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported late Friday that Castro was going to be included in the deal. The Yankees will also send prospects to the Marlins, though none of them have been identified yet.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Giancarlo Stanton is expected to approve his trade to the Yankees.

When Stanton nixed trades to the Giants and Cardinals this week, he made it clear that he would only approve trades to our teams, one of which was the Yankees, so it seems as though his approval is a mere formality at this stage. The deal is now just pending physicals.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Yankees will take on $265 million of the $295 million remaining on Giancarlo Stanton's contract.

There have been a few different numbers floating around this morning, but any way you slice it that's a massive amount of money for any club to take on. That means the Marlins will only be left on the hook for $30 million, but it is also likely to diminish the quality of prospects that they receive in return.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Marlins will receive Starlin Castro, Jorge Guzman and Jose Devers in the Giancarlo Stanton trade.

As expected, with the Yankees taking on most of Stanton's salary, the Marlins aren't getting much in the way of prospects. Guzman, 21, is a live arm who came to the Yankees in the deal that sent Brian McCann to the Astros. He went 5-3 with a 2.30 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 88/18 K/BB ratio over 66 2/3 innings in 13 starts at Low-A Staten Island in 2017. Devers, who is the cousin of Red Sox' third baseman Rafael Devers, is an 18-year-old shortstop who slashed .245/.336/.342 in Rookie Ball last season.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports confirms that the Rockies have signed reliever Bryan Shaw.

ESPN's Buster Olney says it's a three-year deal worth "something in the range of $9 million annually." Shaw has never held a closer job, but he has tallied at least one save in each of the last six seasons and the Rockies could try him in that role in 2018 with Greg Holland departing as a free agent. Shaw, 30, boasts a 3.13 career ERA in 446 1/3 major league innings and he led all MLB pitchers in appearances in 2017. It's a nice addition for the Colorado bullpen.

Mets were linked to Shaw as favorites before deciding to go bargain basement. Very surprising.

Cubs signed LHP Drew Smyly to a two-year, $10 million contract.

Smyly underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery this past June and probably won't make his Cubs debut until somewhere around mid-to-late August in 2018, but this could prove to be a nice buy-low move for Chicago leading into the 2019 season. Smyly, 28, holds a 3.74 career ERA and 1.199 career WHIP in 156 major league appearances (85 starts). He also has an 8.7 career K/9

Cubs signed RHP Brandon Morrow to a two-year, $21 million contract with a $12 million vesting option for 2020.

The deal was agreed upon Sunday and then finalized Tuesday after Morrow passed his physical. The 33-year-old righty posted a spectacular 2.06 ERA and 50/9 K/BB ratio over 43 2/3 regular-season innings for the Dodgers in 2017 and then made 14 appearances in the postseason. He could get a chance to close in Chicago, though the Cubs probably aren't done adding late-inning relievers..

Pineda underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery this past July and might not pitch in a live game in 2018, but he should be fully recovered by the start of spring training in 2019. The 28-year-old starter owns a 4.05 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 9.1 K/9 in 680 career major league innings. It's a nice gamble for Minnesota, even though the pay-off will require some patience

According to Marc Carig of Newsday, the Mets have signed free agent reliever Anthony Swarzak to a two-year, $14 million deal.

That is a very palatable price in this market for a guy who posted an excellent 2.33 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 91/22 K/BB ratio across 77 1/3 innings of relief in 2017. Swarzak, a well-traveled 32-year-old right-hander, is likely to operate in a setup role with the Mets. This deal is pending a physical.

Craig Mish of Sirius XM reports that the Marlins have traded Marcell Ozuna to the Cardinals.

No word yet on what Miami will receive in return, but it figures to be a multi-player package of young talent. Sandy Alcantara, Dakota Hudson, Jack Flaherty, and Randal Grichuk are among the names that have been floated. Ozuna broke out with a .312/.376/.548 batting line, 37 home runs, and 124 RBI in 159 games this past season and represents a massive upgrade for the middle of the Cardinals' lineup. The 27-year-old outfielder is under contractual control via salary arbitration through the end of 2019.

Miami has already dealt Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees and there's a reported agreement in place that will send Marcell Ozuna to the Cardinals. Now it sounds like the Marlins' fire sale will extend to Yelich, who is under contractual control through 2021 with a club option for 2022. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reported Tuesday that the Braves and Diamondbacks are among the teams with interest in acquiring the 26-year-old outfielder. Dan Straily and J.T. Realmuto could also be on the block for the rapidly-rebuilding Fish.

Brandon Kintzler has agreed to a two-year free agent contract with the Nationals, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Kintzler finished the 2017 season in Washington and will return to a setup role with the defending NL East champs after fielding interest from several other teams this winter -- some of whom might have given him a chance to close. His new agreement with the Nats carries a $10 million guarantee and it can jump to $16 million if certain incentives are reached and an option is exercised, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Kintzler owns a sharp 3.08 ERA in 125 2/3 innings since the beginning of the 2016 campaign, though the 33-year-old right-hander has never generated many swing-and-misses.

UPDATED:

Athletics acquired OF Stephen Piscotty from the Cardinals for SS Yairo Munoz and 2B Max Schrock.

The framework of the trade was agreed to on Wednesday night and then officially announced Thursday after Piscotty passed his physical. The 26-year-old outfielder struggled with injuries throughout 2017 and his mother was diagnosed with ALS in the middle of the summer. He heads home to the Bay Area as a strong bounceback candidate for 2018. St. Louis signed Piscotty to a relatively team-friendly six-year, $33.5 million contract extension last April after watching him put up an .815 OPS with 29 home runs and 124 RBI over his first 216 major league games between 2015-2016..

Munoz batted .300/.330/.464 with 13 home runs, 68 RBI, 22 stolen bases, and 65 runs scored in 112 games this past season between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Nashville. He has played all around the diamond defensively, but the majority of his innings have come at the shortstop position. The toolsy and versatile 22-year-old is a nice pickup for St. Louis. Schrock hasn't developed much of a power tool yet, but he boasts a well-rounded .324/.372/.439 career batting line in the minor leagues and he plays good defense at second base. The 23-year-old finished the 2017 season with the Double-A affiliate of the A's.

Angels acquired 2B Ian Kinsler from the Tigers for OF Troy Montgomery and RHP Wilkel Hernandez.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was the first to report the deal. Kinsler, 35, hit .236/.313/.425 for the Tigers in 2017 while tallying 22 homers and stealing 14 bases in 139 games. The right-handed-hitting second baseman had to waive his no-trade clause in order for Detroit to execute this move. He could hit at or near the top of the lineup with the Angels in 2018 and greatly improves their situation at the keystone.

Montgomery was selected by the Angels as an eighth-round pick out of Ohio State in 2016. He reached Double-A this past summer, and hit .271/.358/.413 between stops there and the Low-A and High-A levels. The 23-year-old is a plus runner who also has an above-average throwing arm and can handle all three positions in the outfield. The question will be if he can hit enough to be a regular, though he does have a relatively high floor as a potential fourth outfielder because of his athleticism. While Montgomery offers more safety being the outfielder who reached Double-A in 2017, t Hernandez has a chance to be the best player in the deal for Detroit. At 6-foot-3, 160-pounds, he offers plenty of projection, and he already gets his fastball up to 92 mph. He also won't turn 19 years old until April, so there's lots of time for him to develop his secondary pitches. That's good, because they need a lot of development. There are a ton of possible outcomes for this type of pitcher

Astros signed RHP Joe Smith to a two-year, $15 million contract.

The two-year deal was first reported by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic later filling in the financial details. Smith, 33, struck out 71 batters with a 3.33 ERA in 54 innings of relief this past season while splitting time between the Blue Jays and Indians. He should find a home in a high-leverage role with Houston next year.

BUT WAIT

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Angels could be a fit for Chase Headley once the Ian Kinsler trade is completed.

This is assuming that the Angels are able to get the deal for Kinsler done, which as of Wednesday night was in a slight holding pattern. It was reported earlier Wednesday that the Padres were shopping both Headley and Yangervis Solarte, and the Angels have a need at both the hot corner and the keystone. Stay tuned

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Cardinals signed RHP Luke Gregerson to a two-year, $11 million contract.

The deal was agreed upon Sunday and then officially announced by the Cardinals on Wednesday after Gregerson passed his physical. The 33-year-old right-hander struggled with the Astros in 2017, but he had a 2.84 ERA and 537 strikeouts in 538 innings between 2009-2016. St. Louis drafted him out of college back in 2006 and he figures to work in a setup role in his return to the organization.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Mariners will sign Juan Nicasio to a two-year deal.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports says the contract is worth $17 million, pending a physical. Nicasio led all National League relievers in appearances this past season and finished with 72 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings while registering a 2.61 ERA between the Pirates, Phillies, and Cardinals. He should get a chance for high-leverage innings behind closer Edwin Diaz in Seattle.

Phillies signed RHP Pat Neshek to a two-year, $16.25 million contract.

The deal was agreed to on the first day of the Winter Meetings and then finalized Wednesday after Neshek passed his physical. The veteran right-hander opened the 2017 season with the Phillies and pitched terrifically in a setup role before they traded him to the Rockies on July 26 for three minor leaguers. He should resume that setup gig in the Philadelphia bullpen in 2018.

Craig Mish of Sirius XM reports that the Twins have signed Fernando Rodney to a one-year, $4.5 million contract.

The one-year deal also includes $1.5 million in performance-based bonuses, so it could be worth as much as $6 million. Rodney also drew heavy interest from the Tigers, Rangers, Mets, and Diamondbacks this winter before deciding to head to Minnesota -- where he should get a chance to serve as the primary closer. The 40-year-old right-hander posted some rather underwhelming overall numbers in 2017, but he had a 2.38 ERA and 52/19 K/BB ratio over his final 45 1/3 innings and tallied 39 total saves.

It CAN mean Tommy John if the pitcher continues to do the risk factors. Some pitchers pitch through it and never have a problem, some don't. Tommy John isn't the death sentence it used to be.

Continuing the Asian theme:

Yahoo's Tim Brown reports that the Dodgers are targeting Japanese closer Yoshihisa Hirano.

The Cardinals and Tigers are also looking at the 33-year-old Hirano, who has racked up 143 saves for Orix the last five seasons. Obviously, if he wants a chance to close in the majors, the Dodgers won't be on his list. He might be content as a setup man, though.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that Oswaldo Arcia has signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters on a one-year, $1.7 million contract with a mutual option for 2019.

He can earn $300,000 more in incentives. Going overseas is probably a wise decision for Arcia, who has struggled to gain traction in the majors but mashed again at Triple-A in 2017. He's still young enough -- 27 in May -- to parlay a big season in Japan into a contract with a major league club next winter.

Really smart move. Before going overseas was looked at for finished MLB players/fringe talent. Nowadays alot of youngers players are going to Japan for a year (the comparison to MLB is looked at as "Quadruple-A"), ball out and come back to resign in the States. At least 10 players have resigned with MLB from Japan this offseason alone.

The deal is now official after being reported earlier Friday. Galvis gives the Padres a steady presence at shortstop that they've been lacking and offers them a stopgap at the position until Fernando Tatis Jr. is ready. The 28-year-old batted .255/.309/.382 with 12 homers and 14 steals in 2017.

Ranked by MLB.com as the Padres' No. 13 prospect, De Los Santos held a 3.78 ERA and 138/48 K/BB ratio over 150 innings in his first taste of Double-A this past season. Slated to turn 22 later this month, he could potentially debut at some point in 2018.

What did Galvis do to piss off management?

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the Phillies have signed Carlos Santana to a three-year, $60 million contract.

MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez says the Phillies also have a $17.5 million club option for 2021. It's an odd fit on the surface, as it means either Rhys Hoskins or perhaps even Santana will play the outfield or Santana will move back third base and bump Maikel Franco from a starting job. Perhaps there will be a series of moves coming from Philly. Santana does give the Phillies a bona-fide bat, as he boasts a career .249/.365/.445 batting line and has averaged 24 homers per season in his seven full years. The Indians will now have to turn to Plan B at first base.

What the fuck are the Phillies doing? They're going IN? That team isn't even Wildcard-good. Santana by himself is a completely moronic move. You've paying $20 to a dude you don't have an ideal position for, and you're not going to compete unless this is the start of a bunch of moves.

Angels signed INF Zack Cozart to a three-year, $38 million contract.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic passed along the financials of the deal. Cozart has never played a position other than shortstop in the majors and is an excellent defender there, but he'll be the Angels' third baseman with Andrelton Simmons holding down shortstop. The Halos are going to have an excellent defense across the board in 2018. In addition to good glove work, Cozart broke out at the plate in 2017 with a .297/.385/.548 batting line and 24 home runs.

Now to be fair I was off the grid last year... but 2017 Cosart seemed like a mirage to me.

EDIT:

By SmokeyGo To PostFrankman should I be excited about RHP Hector Rondon?

Astros are doing what teams should do when they don't have an ideal set bullpen: collect talent with upside and let them battle it out for spots. Bullpens are fungible year to year; outside of closers you rarely see consistent performances 2-3 years running. So Houston is doing what the Mets did 2 years ago/last year, and getting alot to talented guys who CAN close but are versatile enough to pitch 7th/8th innings. Finding guys who can pitch 6th and 7th is actually harder to do.

To properly answer your question, he has talent... that's it. He was displaced as a closer due to arm issues and completely losing control at times.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the agreement earlier Friday and now has the particulars after Rondon passed a physical. Rondon had a disappointing 4.24 ERA in 2017, but his velocity was fine and he had a career-best 29.1 percent strikeout percentage. He'll help the Astros in a setup role if he can stay healthy.

Rangers acquired LHP Matt Moore and international signing bonus pool money from the Giants for minor league RHPs Sam Wolff and Israel Cruz.

The Giants wanted to unload Moore's $9 million 2018 salary to free up "resources to address our position player needs" according to general manager Bobby Evans. Moore was an elite prospect before flourishing in his first four major league seasons. His performance tailed off badly over the last three years and he can be viewed as a reclamation project for the Rangers. He went 6-15 with a 5.52 ERA in 174 1/3 innings for the Giants in 2017.

Cruz was signed by the Rangers in 2014 and spent this past season in the Arizona rookie league where he registered a 5.91 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 32 innings, mostly in relief. Wolff is the better bet of the players going to the Giants. The 26-year-old was a sixth round pick in the 2013 draft and blossomed into a power reliever during his ascent up the minor league ladder. He split the 2017 season between Double-A and Triple-A, compiling a combined 2.93 ERA with 59 strikeouts and 19 walks in 43 innings. He is currently recovering from flexor-tendon surgery and will likely miss the first half of the 2018 season.

It's not a bad reclamation project for Texas, but ehhh.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Yankees have agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with CC Sabathia.

The deal is pending a physical. It will be the 10th season spent in New York for the 37-year-old southpaw who posted a 3.69 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in a resurgent 2017 season. He give the Yankees much needed depth in the starting rotation, but it's likely they'll still be in the market for additional arms despite this signing

Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports that the Dodgers have acquired outfielder Matt Kemp from the Braves in exchange for Adrian Gonzalez, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Charlie Culberson and cash considerations.

Wow. The Braves needed to clear a spot in their outfield for top prospect Ronald Acuna, and this takes care of that problem. The 33-year-old outfielder is owed $43.5 million over the final two seasons of his contract, which explains why the Braves had to take back some bad contracts in the mega deal. It's the first major trade that Alex Anthopoulos has made since taking over as the Braves' general manager. Kemp returns to the Dodgers, where he starred for the first nine seasons of his MLB career from 2006-2014. In doing this, the Dodgers upgrade their outfield and also shed some salary which should save them from luxury tax implications in 2018. Kemp hit .276/.318/.463 with 19 homers and 64 RBI in 115 games for the Braves in 2017.

Adrian Gonzalez fell out of favor in Los Angeles after the emergence of Cody Bellinger and opted not to stay with the club for their postseason run while he was recovering from his back injury. It's unclear if the Braves plan to have him man first base while Freddie Freeman shifts to third base full-time, or if they'll look to move him elsewhere. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Braves plan to designate Adrian Gonzalez for assignment, which may factor into the reason Gonzalez waived his no-trade clause to be included in the Matt Kemp deal. The 35-year-old is expected to be fully healthy for spring training, but will now have to find another team willing to give him a shot.

Brandon McCarthy should make for a nice addition to the Braves' starting rotation. The 34 year old posted a 3.98 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 72/27 K/BB ratio over 92 2/3 innings with the Dodgers in 2017. Durability is the biggest issue with McCarthy, as he has logged a total of 155 2/3 innings over the last three seasons.

Charlie Culberson is a defense-first type of utility player but could add valuable versatility to the Braves' bench. The 28-year-old is a career .231/.272/.324 hitter over 443 plate appearances in his big league career.

They need to get the band back togehter then. Get Ethier, Loney and Furcal.

The funny thing is, the NL East looked like it's be the Nationals and the Mets... suddenly the Phillies look like they wanna try to compete, and this deal means the Braves won't be terrible either (assuming Kazmir stays healthy).

By The FrankmanGo To PostThey need to get the band back togehter then. Get Ethier, Loney and Furcal.

The funny thing is, the NL East looked like it's be the Nationals and the Mets… suddenly the Phillies look like they wanna try to compete, and this deal means the Braves won't be terrible either (assuming Kazmir stays healthy).

Supposedly they’re not even gonna keep kemp. Too much of a defensive liability. It was purely to start Belinger and save cash.

Gonzalez was acquired from the Dodgers on Saturday in a trade that swapped multiple bad contracts, but there was no place for him to play with the Braves. The 35-year-old batted just .242/.287/.355 with three homers in an injury-shortened 2017 campaign and might have a hard time finding a job that guarantees him regular playing time in 2018.

According to Craig Mish of Sirius XM, J.T. Realmuto has requested a trade from the Marlins.

The Marlins have already sold off a number of high-profile pieces and Realmuto would presumably prefer to go to a place where he has a better chance to win. Requesting a trade doesn't mean it will happen, but it could be the best outcome for both parties. Realmuto turns 27 in March and is under team control for three more seasons, so he could bring back an impressive haul. As opposed to some of the other deals, a trade involving Realmuto would be about bringing back top prospects rather than shedding salary. Realmuto batted .278/.332/.451 with 17 homers, 65 RBI, and eight steals over 141 games this past season.

Dude was starting to look like a legit two-way threat last year, a rarity at the catcher position.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Rays have traded Evan Longoria to the Giants.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports says the Rays will receive third base prospect Christian Arroyo, veteran outfielder Denard Span, and minor league pitchers Matt Krook and Stephen Woods. Outside of the Span throw-in this is a decent haul for the Rays, given that Longoria is owed $86 million and hasn't posted an on-base percentage north of .328 since the 2013 season. Maybe the 32-year-old can bounce back offensively in a new environment, but San Francisco is a tough place for such an attempt.

WOW

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Orioles closer Zach Britton ruptured his right Achilles tendon during an offseason workout on Tuesday in California and will be sidelined for at least six months.

He is scheduled to undergo surgery on Thursday. This is absolutely devastating news for the Orioles, who had been weighing whether to trade Britton this winter or try to compete with him as their closer in 2018. The 29-year-old left-hander is scheduled to become a free agent next winter. Brad Brach would seem to be the logical choice as the team's ninth-inning fill-in, but he is also entering his walk year and could be dealt if the O's now decide to tear things down. Britton is expected to command north of $12 million in his final year of salary arbitration and probably won't be able to throw a pitch until the second half.

The trade is now official, having been announced by both teams. Longoria owns a poor .264 batting average and .320 on-base percentage over the last four seasons, but he still has decent power and plays strong defense at third base. The 32-year-old will most definitely be an upgrade over what the Giants got from the hot corner in 2017, though his fantasy stock could drop even further with the move to homer-sapping AT&T Park. Tampa Bay is expected to cover some of the $86 million that he's still owed.

Arroyo is the centerpiece of the return package for Tampa Bay. The 22-year-old batted just .192/.244/.304 over his first 34 major league games in 2017, but he was a consensus top-100 prospect just a couple of years ago and could be ready to blossom with the Rays. He figures to be the Opening Day third baseman.

Span is mostly just a salary offset in this five-player swap. The veteran outfielder is owed $11 million in 2018 with a $12 million club option (or $4 million buyout) for 2019. He hit .268/.330/.402 with 23 home runs and 24 stolen bases over 272 games during his two-year stay in San Francisco. Span turns 34 years old in February and shouldn't be counted on for much output with Tampa Bay.

Krook, a fourth-round pick in 2016, has posted an underwhelming 5.25 ERA and 1.64 WHIP through 132 professional innings between rookie ball and High-A. He possesses decent swing-and-miss stuff, but the 23-year-old southpaw carries serious control issues. Consider him a project for the Rays' minor league pitching instructors.

Woods registered a promising 2.95 ERA and 9.2 K/9 in 23 starts this past season for the Giants' Low-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League, though he also issued 64 walks in 110 innings. The 22-year-old right-hander was an eighth-round pick in 2016 out of the University at Albany, SUNY.

Braves acquired OF Preston Tucker from the Astros for a player to be named later or cash considerations, and RHP Luke Jackson for assignment.

Tucker was designated for assignment by the Astros last week to clear a roster spot for freshly-acquired reliever Hector Rondon. The 27-year-old outfielder could open the 2018 season with a starting job in Atlanta while the Braves play the service time game with top prospect Ronald Acuna. Tucker is a .219/.274/.403 career hitter in 146 major league games, but his minor league numbers suggest he should be much more productive going forward.

Jackson, 26, posted a 4.62 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and 33/19 K/BB ratio over 50 2/3 innings of relief with Atlanta in 2017. His career ERA in the majors is 5.64.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Brewers are close to an agreement with free agent right-hander Jhoulys Chacin.

Chacin posted strong overall numbers with the Padres in 2017, but his home-road splits don't paint a pretty picture for what the Brewers might be getting here. The 29-year-old right-hander had a 1.79 ERA in 16 starts at Petco Park and a 6.53 ERA in 16 starts everywhere else. Milwaukee's Miller Park is not so kind on pitchers.

The deal was agreed upon at last week's Winter Meetings and then finalized Wednesday after Nicasio passed his physical. The 31-year-old right-hander posted a strong 2.61 ERA, 1.078 WHIP, and 72/20 K/BB ratio in 72 1/3 innings this past season between the Pirates, Phillies, and Cardinals, leading all National League relievers in appearances. He should be a steady setup man for young Mariners closer Edwin Diaz.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports confirms that the Nationals have signed Matt Adams to a one-year, $4 million contract.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post says Adams can earn another $500,000 through performance-based incentives. The 29-year-old will operate as a left-handed bench bat in Washington and a backup to Ryan Zimmerman at first base. Adams posted a .274/.319/.522 batting line with 20 home runs and 65 RBI in 131 games this past season between the Braves and Cardinals, faring especially well against right-handed pitching. He was non-tendered by Atlanta on December 1.

Dodgers signed RHP Tom Koehler to a one-year contract.

The deal was struck last Friday and then finalized Wednesday after the 31-year-old right-hander passed his physical. Koehler had a rough 6.69 overall ERA in 72 2/3 innings this past season between the Marlins and Blue Jays, but he finished the season strong after moving into Toronto's bullpen and he should fit nicely as a long reliever in Los Angeles.

The financial details are a little complicated on this one. Kintzler is guaranteed $10 million, but there are competing options for 2019 -- either a $10 million club option that the Nats can choose to exercise or a $5 million player option if the club option is not picked up. If fully maximized, performance incentives included, the deal could be worth a total of $16 million. Kinzler, 33, posted a 2.61 ERA in 76 appearances between the Twins and Nationals in 2017 and will return to a setup role with Washington for the 2018 campaign.

It is believed to be a two-year, $16 million contract with an $8 million vesting option for the 2020 season. Yonder will replace Carlos Santana, who recently signed a free agent contract with the Phillies. The veteran Alonso had a breakout season in 2017, slashing .266/.365/.501 with 28 home runs and 67 RBI in 142 games. He began the year with the Athletics and was dealt to the Mariners in early August. His previous high for homers in a season was nine way back in 2012 with the Padres.

The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro reports that Yoshihisa Hirano is getting a two-year, $6 million deal from the Diamondbacks.

That's a nice get for Arizona at a time when Tommy Hunter is getting $18 million from the Phillies. Hirano has been one of the best relievers in Japan over the last several seasons, having posted a 2.67 ERA and 47/16 K/BB ratio over 67 1/3 innings in 2017 for the Orix Buffaloes. He has plenty of closing experience overseas but at this point would appear destined for a setup role ahead of Archie Bradley, depending on whether the D'Backs add any more relief help. The 33-year-old Hirano was also pursued by the Dodgers, Cardinals and Tigers.

I'm going to miss Ohtani. So much. He surpassed Yu Darvish as my favorite player ever, and I am glad he won a championship before being posted. But I am so happy that he is finally getting to go to the MLB and show everyone he has the potential to be one of the best to ever play this sport.

The Angels better not waste him. I will never forgive them if they do.

Miguel Sano has been accused of sexual assault by a Minnesota-based photographer.

The photographer, Betsy Bissen, shared a post on social media Thursday morning detailing a troubling incident with Sano during an autograph signing at a mall in 2015. Bissen says Sano recognized her from some of the games she covered at Target Field and flirted with her without reciprocation over the course of the event before attempting to pull her into a private hallway after the signing had concluded. Sano also allegedly tried to kiss the woman "more than once." Bissen's full post can be found at the link below. Here is a statement issued by the Twins: "Today the Minnesota Twins were made aware of allegations involving Miguel Sano at an offsite appearance during the 2015 season. The Twins, along with Major League Baseball, take these allegations very seriously. Until more information is gathered, the Twins will have no further comment."